FRAG REVIEW - Versace Eros Energy · Brotherhood Of Scent

Sep '24 (edited) • New Releases & Reviews 📝

FRAG REVIEW - Versace Eros Energy

Hey Gents, Joe A. here with an exciting new release to talk about! This time, it's the highly anticipated addition to the Versace Eros line—Energy! As soon as I heard about it, I started saving up my allowance to grab it as soon as it hit the shelves. But then the early reviews came in, and... the excitement in the fragrance community seemed to fizzle out. I wondered why, until I started hearing those dreaded words every fragrance lover dreads: 'It's an Aventus clone.' Seriously? Not another one...

So, I finally got my hands on it and made it my SOTD! Let me tell you, this is an amazing scent! It's a total citrus bomb—every kind of citrus you can imagine—but what stands out most for me is the lemon! I can also pick up notes of grapefruit, orange, and maybe even a hint of lime (even if that’s not an official note, that’s what I’m getting!) The opening does remind me of quite a few other fragrances, but Aventus wasn’t the first, second, or even third thing that came to mind.

To me, this scent unfolds in two stages. The opening is bright, juicy, and energizing, lifting your spirits right away. It does fill the room, but it's enjoyable, almost giddy! After about two hours, as that initial opening fades, the underlying woods start to take center stage. The citruses and woods dominate for most of the wear afterwards. The projection starts off loud and bold but gradually softens to a more moderate, medium-to-soft level.

The first fragrance that Energy reminded me of was Parfums de Marly’s Perseus, a recent release from the 'niche house with designer sensibilities.' Nope, Aventus didn’t come to mind—and that’s because Energy lacks that signature smoky birch undertone. Yes, there are woods, but they're more like clean, white woods. The next scent I thought of was CDNIM, mainly due to the lemon-heavy opening, but even that wasn’t quite right. Then there's Intense Cedrat Boise, but its mid and base deviate so much that I quickly ruled it out. In short, Energy is definitely not a clone, but it does belong to that classic 'Citrus/Woods' family!" (Hacivat, Morning Chess, Not Only Intense, PV The One Intense, Explorer, etc, etc, etc.)

Final Verdict: So, what does this mean? Well, Energy is a fantastic scent that draws on a classic, tried-and-true fragrance formula. Projection is above average while versatility is amazing. Longevity for me was around 6 to 7 hrs., but I only did two sprays on my arm for this review. Energy isn't novel, unique, or groundbreaking—it’s essentially Versace’s spin on a well-known DNA. Is it good? Absolutely. Does it perform well? Yes. But is it worth the retail price? Well........not quite! While $115 is fairly reasonable for a new release, my experience tells me that it’ll soon hit discounters for in or around that $70 range. (Editor's Note: It's already at $90 at Jomashop) And at that price, it’s definitely a solid pick-up.

Joe Average Rating (JAR®): Wait, but what about all those clones of Aventus that come in around $30 or $40, why can't I just stick with that?? Well....It's the Versace blending that sets Energy apart! Though synthetic, it's not rough or jarring like lower priced clones, with a solid clean woody base that anchors everything. It's only in this area that I get faint traces of the Eros character! Highly versatile, this is a three season, warm weather wear and can easily be someone's signature. Price point is at the higher end of my Joe A. wallet, so I'll recommend picking it up at discounters! Maybe an early Christmas present....

Score 8/10

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